Adapter for guns



Sept.' 27, 1949.

W. SUMMERBELL.

' ADAPTER FOR GUNS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. l5, 1946 KL ZlwutZ/Yvfb"William E LLmTnErl: Ell

Sept 27, 1949. w. SUMMERBELI. y 2,482,808 f ADAPTER FOR GUNS File'aAug.15, 194e v 2 sheets-sheetV 2 William Eummerh E11 Patented Sept. 27, 1949.ADAPTER FOR GUNS `William -SummerbelL Washington, D. C.; Edith Y. MaySummerbell executrix of said William Summerbell, deceased ApplicationAugust 15, 1946, Serial No. 690,649

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, Yas

Vamended April 30, 1928; 370 O. G. 757) 10 Claims.

The invention described herein may be .manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, Withoutthe payment to me ofany royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a `new and useful improvement in adapters forguns whereby a gun can be changed to an in bore subcaliber gun, and isdesigned more particularly for mounting a 37 mm. gun coaxially on andwithin a 75 gun. The particularly novel `and useful features of mydevice are the lmeans for coupling the breech ringand tube -of thesubcaliber gun in a threadless joint and the .means for coupling thetube of the subcaliber gun to the yrear `apron of the breech ring of`the larger gun, the tube of the subcaliber gun being supportedco-aXially in the tube of the larger gun.

While I have illustrated in the 4drawings ied herewith and havehereinafter `fully described-one specic embodiment of my invention, itis to be distinctly understood that I -do not consider my invention tobe limited to said specic embodiment, but refer for its scope 1to .the.claims appended hereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section, i

partly in plan, `on the line :I--I .of Figure `5, in the direction ofthe arrows, show-ing my improved adapter, mounting a -37 subcaliber gunin a 75 mm. gun.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device mounted on the tube of the 37mm. gun.

Figure 3 isI a vertical section on the line 3--3 of Figure 1, in thevdirection of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the .line 5 5. ,2

of Figure 1, in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of Figure 1, in thedirection ofthe arrows.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical section on the line 6 6 of Figure 1,in the direction of the arrows.

Figure '7 is a vertical section on the line l-l of Figure 1, in thedirectionof the arrows. Y Figure 8 is Aa side elevation of the couplingsleeve for connecting Vthe .tube and breech ring of the subcaliber gun.

Figure 9 is a `rear elevation -of -the said sleeve. Figure 10 isa frontelevation of said sleeve. Figure 11 is a side elevation, partly insection,

of the locking sleeve serving to lock the coupling w' Figure 13 is aperspective View of the lock-ing yoke, a portion being broken away todisclose .a feature thereof.

As illustrated in the drawings, my improved adapter is utilized toconvert a '75 mm. gun to a s-ubcaliber gun by using a 37 mm. gun ofimproved design having its tube .and :breech ring united in a threadlessjoint. The breech ring l is provided at its forward end with an axialbore 2 having a reduced portion 3 at its rear end, forming innerperipheral shoulders l and 5 on ring I. The tube 6 has la peripheralflange .I in its rear end which is received in bore portion 3, its rearface 8 seated against shoulder and its forward face 9 Iregistering withshoulder 5. A coupling sleeve II) (Figs. 8, 9, and 10), received aboutthe rear portion of tube 5, has a peripheral flange II on its rear endseated against shoulder 5 of breech ring I .and face 9 of flange 'I oftube S. Flange II has a radial key .I2 seated in a key way I3 in breechring I, and an Vaxially extended tenon I4 in a mortise i5 in face 9 ofange 'II of tube 5. The above-described details vof structure of sleeveIl! effect coupling of :breech ring I and tube 6 against relatieverotation. A .locking sleeve IB received about coupling sleeve I' isprovided on its rear portion with external threads I1 inter-engaginginternal threads I3 in -bore Z of breech ring I, and at its forward endwith suitable Spanner sockets I9 for setting up the end 2D of sleeve l5against flange Il of sleeve It, to prevent relative axial movement ofbreech ring I and tube 6. Sleeve I6 has a peripheral collar 2|immediately forward of threads l1. Breech ring I ,has a bore A22registering radially with portion 23 of sleeve I5 immediately forwardvof collar 2|. A plug 2t .is threaded in bore 22 and has heads 25 and 2Bconnected .by stem 27. A wedge 28 has a forked portion 29 received aboutstem 21 to retain wedge 28 on plug 24. When sleeve I6 is seated, plug2f?. is set up in bore l22, causing wedge 28. to bear against collar 2lto preventrelative axial movement of sleeve I5 and breech ring I. SleeveI6 is provided, forwardly of portion v23, with a .peripheral collar 30tting snugly in bore 2 Vof ring I at the forward end of ring I. VSleeveI8 is provided forwardly of flange Si) with exterior threads 3| on whichis threaded a locking ring or nut 3Q including a threaded sleeve 32 andhaving Spanner sockets 33 in its periphery which bears against the rearface 35 of the rear apron 36 of the breech ring 3l of the 'l5 mm. gun onwhich the subcaliber gun is mounted. vSleeve I@ is provided, immediately.rearwardly of Spanner sockets I9, with a periphera1 groove 38 forming ashoulder 39 on the periphery of sleeve I6 forward of groove 38. Agenerally U-shaped locking yoke or plate 40 has its legs lll received ingroove 33, their forward faces 42 bearing against shoulder 39 of lockingsleeve I6 and their rear faces 43 bearing against the forward faces 44on rear apron 35 of breech ring 31. It will be noted (Fig. 2) that thefaces 43 of legs 4l are inclined to correspondV precisely with theinclination of faces @d on which faces 43 bear. The yoke or plate di!has a rearwardly extending saddleY i5 Vhaving a concave portion 46embracing the upper portion of sleeve I6 and vertical end walls lilfitting between vertical walls 48 of the throat of rear apron 'c toretain legs 4l in proper position between shoulder 39 of sleeve I6 andapron 36 of ring 31. The yoke 40 has an arm 49 extending forwardly fromthe middle of the bight portion of yoke Y40 over the forward portionofsleeve l5, and provided with a depending key 50 received in a key-way 5lin the forward end of sleeve it. A second key-way 52 isprovided in theend of sleeve Iii, disposed at an angle of 90 relative to key-way 5 I toreceive key 5l! when the subcaliber gun is rotated through an arc of 90to convert from a drop-block to a side-open type.

The tube 6 is supported at its muzzle in the tube 53 of the 75 mm. gunby a bushing threaded on tube 6 and having suitable wrench bearing faces55 and a suitable deflector tube 55 for protecting the bore of tube 53.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1s:

1. In an adapter for mounting the barrel of a first gun of smallercaliber within theV breech ring and barrel of a second gun oflargercaliber, the breech ring of the second gun having an aprondefining front and rear faces, a locking sleeve secured to and extendingabout Ythe breech portion of the barrel of said iirst gun, means rigidlysecuring said locking sleeve to said second gun, said means including anexternal flange secured to said sleeve and axially adjustablethere-along, said sleeve having a peripheral external groove at itsforward end, said groove being positioned within the breech ring of saidsecond gun when said first gun is inserted thereinto with said flangeabutting the rear face of the apron of said second gun, and a lockingyoke insertable in said groove to engage the front face of said apronandthereby hold said flange in abutting relation with the rear face ofsaid apron to secure said guns in assembled relation.

2. In an adapter for mounting a first gun barrel of relatively smallcaliber within the bore of a second gun barrel of larger caliber, saidsecond gun having a breech-ring provided with an apron affording opposedfront and rear surfaces, a locking sleeve mounted about said rst gunbarrel, means rigidly securing said sleeve about the breech portion ofsaid first barrel, said sleeve having a peripheral groove adjacent itsforward end, a locking yoke insertable into said groove in a directiontransversely of the bore axis of said rst barrel, and a locking nutthreaded on and about said sleeve rearwardly of said groove, said yokeand nut being adapted to engage the front and rear surfaces,respectively, of the rear apron of the breech-ring of said second barrelin response to turning of said nut, whereby to rigidly secure said firstbarrel within the bore of said second barrel.

3. In an adapter for mounting a first. gun barrel of relatively smallcaliber within the bore ,4 of a second gun barrel of larger caliber, thesecond gun having a breech-ring, a locking sleeve fixed to and about thebreech portion of said first gun barrel coaxially thereof, said sleevehaving an external peripheral groove adjacent its forward end, aU-shaped locking yoke having legs fitting said groove and insertableinto said groove in a direction transversely of the bore axis of saidfirst gun barrel, and a locking nut threaded on said sleeve rearwardlyof said groove,

said nut being rotatable to clamp a portion of the breech ring of saidsecond gun barrel between said yoke and nut.

4. In anV adapter for mounting a rst gun barrel of relatively smallcaliber within the bore of asecond gun barrel of larger caliber, saidsecond gun barrel being provided with a breechring having a throat andan apron affording front and rear opposed surfaces, the combination of alocking sleeve `having a peripheralgroove in the forward portionthereof, means including a, coupling sleeve fixing said locking sleeveto and about the breech portion of said first gun barrel, said couplingsleeve having a key-way, a locking nut fixed to and about said lockingsleeve for axial adjustment therealong, a U-shaped yoke having legsadapted, to straddle said locking sleeve within said groove, said yokehaving a s-addle integral with its bight portion, said saddle fittinginto the throat of the breech-ring of said second gun when said rst gunbarrel is within the second gun barrel with said yoke abutting againstthe front surface of the 'apron'of said second gun and with said nutagainst the Yrear surface of the apron of said second gun, said lockingnut and yoke acting to secure said first gun against axial movementWithin the second gun, said yoke having key means coactingA with saidkey-way in said coupling sleeve whereby, to prevent relative axialrotation of said guns.

5. Means for mounting thebarrel of a first gun within the bore of thetube cfa second gun barrel having a breech-ring with an apron` providing forward and rear surfaces, comprising, a breech ring for saidrstgun and having a bore and a threadedrcounterbore to provide a forwardlyfacing peripheral shoulder, the breech end of the barrel of saidiirstgun having a flange fitting the barrel of said bore, sleeve meansrotatably fitting said iirst gun and threaded into said counterboreto`force said flange into contact with said shoulder, and means carriedby said sleeve means and adapted to engage the forward and rear facesofthe apron of the breech ring of said second gun to secure said firstbarrel within the bore of said second barrel against longitudinalmovement and axial rotation relatively thereto.

6. In a sub-caliber gun adapted to be mounted within the bore of a gunof larger caliber comprising, a breech-ring havin-g a bore andcounterbore through the forward end thereof, to provide first and secondforwardly-facing circular shoulders, said counterbore being threaded, abarrel having a flange at its rear end, which flange has its forwardface coplanar with said second shoulder when seated on said firstshoulder, a coupling sleeve fitting around said barrel and having a rearexternal flange seating on both said coplanar face and second shoulder,and va locking sleeve threaded into said counterbore and engaging thefiange of said coupling sleeve to thereby secure said breech-ring4 andbarrel in assembled relation.

7. A gun as recited in claim 6, rst key means between said couplingsleeve and breech-ring, and second key means between said couplingsleeve and said barrel flange to thereby prevent relative rotation ofs-aid breech-ringV and barrel.

8. In a gun, the combination of a breech ring having a bore; a tubehaving its rear portion disposed in said bore; a coupling sleeve on saidtube and provided with means for connecting said sleeve to said ring andsaid tube to prevent relative rotation of said ring and said tube; and alocking sleeve on said coupling sleeve and threaded in said bore, toprevent relative axial movement of said ring and said tube.

9. In a gun, the combination of a breech ring having an axial boreproviding two peripheral shoulders spaced axially in the ring, and akeyway extending longitudinally of the ring and disposed radially ofsaid bore, from the forward of the two shoulders to the front of thering; a tube having a, peripheral flange on its rear end, the rear faceof said flange seating on the rear of the two shoulders and the forwardface of the flange registering with the forward shoulder, said flangehaving a mortise in its forward face; a sleeve mounted on said tube,extending into said bore, and having a, peripheral flange on its rearend, seated against the registering forward shoulder and front face ofthe tube flange, and having a radial key seated in said key-way and atenon seated in said mortise; and a second sleeve mounted on said rstsleeve and threaded in said bore, its rear end bearing against the saidsleeve ange.

10. In an adapter for mounting Vthe barrel of a first gun within thebore of the barrel of a second gun having a breech-ring with an apronproviding forward and rear surfaces, a, breech ring for said rst gunbarrel, sleeve means threadedly engaging said breech ring of the firstgun barre1 for rigidly uniting the same and rst gun barrel, in coaxialrelation, and means carried by said sleeve means for engaging theforward and rear surfaces of the apron of the breech ring of said secondgun barrel to thereby clamp said first gun barrel in position in thebore of said second gun barrel.

WILLIAM SUMMERBELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 440,625 Emmens Nov. 18, 1890'745,464 Tasker Dec. 1, 1903 2,423,471 Summerbell July 8, 1947 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 3,024 Great Britain 1904 8,286 Great Britain1905

